Nissan: Nissan e.dams complete preseason Formula E test

Nissan e.dams completed 247 laps of all-important powertrain and energy management development at the Spanish circuit over the three days

VALENCIA, Spain – Nissan e.dams has completed its preseason testing at Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain as it prepares for its season five debut in the ABB FIA Formula E championship.

The team finished the final day’s testing by running in wet conditions for the first time this morning. In total, Nissan e.dams completed 247 laps of all-important powertrain and energy management development at the Spanish circuit over the three days.

The Valencia test was the first time that all the Formula E teams have been on track together testing the new-for-season five “Gen 2” car which features a new battery, drivetrain, and aerodynamics.

Nissan e.dams highlights of the week included finishing on top of the timesheet for the first time in the Wednesday early afternoon session with Buemi at the wheel. The Swiss racer was also third fastest into the final Wednesday afternoon session.

Buemi’s Wednesday afternoon time put the Nissan e.dams package as the fourth fastest manufacturer overall for the week in Valencia.

As the first Japanese company to enter Formula E, Nissan has drawn on its track record of selling more than 365,000 Nissan LEAF vehicles since introducing the model in 2010. The company has used its experience building electric vehicles for the road to develop the all-new powertrain for its Formula E race car.

Nissan’s Formula E program will show a new “performance side” of Nissan Intelligent Mobility – the company’s vision for changing how cars are powered, driven and integrated into society.

With testing now complete, the Nissan e.dams team will continue with off-track development with 57 days remaining until the first race in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on December 15.

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QUOTES

Sebastien Buemi – No. 23 Nissan e.dams driver“This was the first time for Nissan e.dams to see where we stood compared to the other teams. It was a key week for the development of our powertrain, and now we’re very much looking forward to the first race.

“The week was very important for testing the systems and making sure everything works correctly.

“It was essential to make sure we could push the car to the limit.

“This morning was another new challenge – our first run in the “Gen 2” car in wet conditions. Remarkably we’ve never had a wet Formula E race, but it was important to see how the car behaves when it’s raining.

“We’re now very much looking forward to our race debut in Riyadh.”

Jean-Paul Driot – Nissan e.dams team principal“These three days of testing in Valencia showed we have a very competitive championship ahead.

“A lot of different teams and drivers showed good potential, and Sebastien Buemi demonstrated once again that Nissan e.dams will still be a very strong contender.

“Our week test in Valencia was troubled with Alex Albon not driving.

We hope soon to get over this issue and be ready to fight mid-December in Saudi Arabia.

Michael Carcamo – Nissan global motorsports director“It was a very special week for us as the first Japanese manufacturer to join Formula E. To be here and test with all the other teams and manufacturers was great and has made us even more excited about the challenge ahead.

“Our objective here was never to chase a lap time at this circuit; it was to learn how the car behaves in reaction to a specific situation. Here we have a very smooth surface here compared to a street circuit we’ll face in season five.

“Developing our powertrain and energy management systems was so important so we can reach the maximum level of performance from the amount of available energy we have.

“Nissan has a long history in EVs for the road, and Formula E is a great opportunity for us to talk to the consumers around the world about everything Nissan is doing on the production side with Nissan Intelligent Mobility and our next generation, Nissan LEAF.”